Nismo

Nismo, short for Nissan Motorsports, is the high-performance and motorsport division of Nissan Motor Company. It coordinates Nissan’s official racing programs, develops performance parts, and tunes road cars for enhanced speed, handling, and overall performance. The Nismo brand encompasses both factory racing activities and the engineering of production models bearing the Nismo badge.

Nismo traces its origins to 1984, when Nissan established Nissan Motorsport International Limited (NMIL) to manage its international competition programs. Over time the organization evolved into a dedicated performance and racing arm, expanding from pure racing operations into the development of road-going performance variants and customer racing programs. Road cars marketed under the Nismo name typically feature upgraded engines, suspension, brakes, aerodynamics, and interior components designed to deliver a more race-oriented driving experience. Notable examples include the Nissan GT-R NISMO, the 370Z NISMO, and the earlier 350Z NISMO, along with various Nismo-tuned versions of other Nissan models and performance parts.

In competition, Nismo acts as Nissan’s official works partner in major series such as Super GT in Japan, where Nissan and Nismo-backed teams campaign with GT-R-based machines in the GT500 class. It has also supported international endurance and GT programs, including entries in the FIA World Endurance Championship and, in the mid-2010s, the Nissan GT-R LM Nismo project for the 24 Hours of Le Mans, a program that was discontinued after limited success. Beyond factory efforts, Nismo provides engineering support, technology transfer, and performance parts to customer racing programs.

Nismo is recognized as the brand and engineering backbone of Nissan’s performance and racing heritage, linking motorsport technology with road-car innovation.